Engine-starter.



G. WESTINGHOUSE, DECD.

H. H. WESTINGHOUSE. C. A. TERRY 6:. W- D. UPTEGRAFF, EXECUTORS.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPL|cATl0N FILED DEC-21, 1912.

1,209;91 7. Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

, 20 4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

H/S ATTORNEY IN FACT G. WESTINGHOUSE, DECD.

n. H. wzsnusuousz. c. A. mun & w. n. UPTEGRAFF, EXECUTORS.

ENGINESTABTER.

APPLICATION FILED 050.21. 1912.

'1 ,209,9 1 7. Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR.

By v LW W wpm w H/S A/TTORNEY IN FACT G. WESTINGHOUSE, DECD. H. H.WESTINGHOUSVE, c. A. TERRY} w. 0. UPTEGRAFF, axzcurons.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION HLED DEC.2I, 1912.

Patented Dec. 26,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR.

\MEI 2%...

H/S ATTORNEY IN FACT STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

GEORGE WHTIII'GHOUSE, 01' 2111831136182, PENII BYLVAIIA;VHIBIBY WEST-INGHOUSE, A. TERRY, AID WALTER D. UPTBGB-AIE, BXECUTOBS 0F SAID GEORGEWESTINGHOUSE, I).

ENGINE-STARTER.

1,209,917. W na Patented Dec. 26,1916.

Application flea December :1, 1012. semi Io. 788,017.

Toall'whomitmay concern:

Be it known that I, Gnome Wmnm- HOUSE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Engine- Starters,of which the following is a specificatioii. I

This invention relates to improvements in starting devices for internalcombustion engines and more particularly to electrically operatedstarting devices for use with motor vehicles such as .automobiles andtrucks, and an object of this invention has been to produce a simple andrelatively cheap electric starting device. This and other objects whichwill readily appear to those skilled in this art I attain in the devicedescribed in the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanthe same and forming a part of this apphcation, and throughout whichdrawings like elements are denoted by like characters.

This invention primarily consists of an electric motor connected'todrive a pawl device which engages with a ratchet carried by the enginefly wheel. For the purpose of illustration the pawl device is shown provided with two pawls, although obviously one may be used or a numbergreater than two if desired.

The ratchet device is shown mounted on the periphery of the engine flywheel but obviously the ratchet may be cut in the fly wheel itself.Where it is desired to install the starting device on a motor vehiclealready in service the simplest manner of obtaining the ratchet may beto mount the same on the fly wheel in a manner similar to that shown inthis application. If, however, the manufacturer of the motor vehicle isto install the starting device it may be simpler to cut the ratchetdirectly in the fly wheel. For the purpose of illustration but withnoidea of limiting this invention to a particular form of device I havechosen one embodiment of the invention and have illustrated the same inthe drawings in which Figure 1 is a view more or less diagrams matic inwhich the electric motor is shown in longitudinal section and the pawldevice and ratchet are shown partially plan and partially in section;Fig. 2 is a view show ing the pawl and ratchet device partially in sideelevation and partially in section with the pawl engaging the ratchet onthe motor fly wheel; Fig. 3 shows a portion of the fly wheel of theengine with the detachable ratchet device in cross-section; Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic plan view of a portion of the motor vehicle with thestarting device in place the mechanism for operatmg the samediagrammatically illustrated; Fig. 5 IS a view similar to Fig. 4 but inside elevation; and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modifiedform of the device.

The motor and pawl devices are made up into a single organized structureconsisting of a motor having field windings 10 secured within a housingor frame 11, an armature 12 mounted on a shaft 13, and a pawl dev cecomprising two pawls 14 and 15 carmod on eccentrics 16 and 17 on a shaft18 driven from the motor shaft 13 through the medium of spring coupling19. The pawls 14 and 15 are held in yielding engagement witha ratchet 20carried by the fly wheel 21 of-the engine by means of springs 22 securedat 23 to a portion of the housing 11 of the device.

Shaft 13 0f the motor at one end is journaled ina bearing. 24 located ina partition 25 dividing the housing 11 into a motor compartment and apawl compartment. The other end of the motor shaft 13 carries by meansof a threaded connection 26 a shaft end 27 which is journaled within abearing 28 carried in one end of the housing 11. The shaft end 27carries the commutator 29 for the motor and cooperating with thecommutator are brushes 30.

Shaft 18 of the pawl device at one end carries a sleeve 31 on which theeccentric 16 is formed. This sleeve may be secured to the shaft in anysuitable manner, such as being keyed thereto, and is preferably held onthe shaft by means of a nut 32. Sleeve 31' is journaled within a bearing33. A hearing 34 is formed on the pawl shaft 18 and this bears againstthe inner surface of motor shaft 13 in line with bearing 24. The otherend of the pawl shaft 18 is journaled withir; a bearing surface 35formed in shaft end 2 Spring 19 at one end 36 is secured to the, pawlshaft and at the opposite end 37 is secured to the motor shaft. Ifdesired a held on by friction.

double-throw crank may be substituted for the eccentrics 16 and 17.

The spring 19 will be of such strength as to allow the motor under fulltorque to make about one-half a revolution before the engine is rotatedor moved. This will. tend to give a uniform motion to the motor and willprevent injury to the armature and commutator by reason of shocks due tothe succession of jerks as the pawl engages the ratchet.

As before said the ratchet may be cut in the fly wheel itself or ifdesired it may be detachably secured to the outer periphery of the flywheel. In Fig. 3 the fly wheel 21 is shown slightly out down at 40 and aring 41 is secured thereon. This ring may be either bolted on or may bea drive fit and A ring 42 is loosely fitted on the fly wheel and betweenrings 41 and 42 a ring 43, in which the ratchet 20 is cut or otherwiseformed, lies. This ring 43 has a depending flange 44 which lies betweenflanges 45 and 46 of rings 41 and 42. Bolts 47 secured to the ring 42pass through holes formed for that purpose in ring 41, and around eachof these bolts and between flange 45 of ring 41 and a nut 48 threadedonto the outer end of each bolt, a spring 49 is placed. This springtends to pull ring 42 toward ring 41 and thereby clamp by means offriction the ratchet member to the fly wheel. The tension of thesesprings can be adjusted by means of the nuts so that the ratchet memberunder the action of the pawls will not slip relatively to the fly wheelbut will slip relatively to the fly wheel in case of a back fire of theengine.

As it is desirable while the engine is in operation to have the pawlsout of contact with the ratchet, the eccentric straps 50 and 51 whichcarry the pawls 14 and 15 are provided with rearward extensions 52 and53. A lever arm 54 carrying a foot 55 is adapted to be reciprocated soas to contact with arms 52 and 53 to swing the pawl out of engagementwith the ratchet as soon as the engine has started. Lever arm 54connects with a bell-crank lever 5657 which is rotated by means of afoot pedal 58 through the medium of suitable link and lever connections59-60 and gears 61 and 62. A storage battery 63 is supplied forfurnishing the current to the motor and a switch 64 is connected up sothat current will be supplied to the motor as the pawls are allowed toengage with the ratchet. Itwill be seen that as the foot pedal 58 isdepressed the foot 55 will be moved out of contact with arms 52 and 53and the pawl, by means of springs 22, will be moved into engagement withthe ratchet. As the current is simultaneously supplied to the motor thefly wheel will be turned and a charge of explosive mixture drawn intothe engine and fired as is now common practice.

In Fig. 6 a modified form of the device is illustrated and in this formthe pawl shaft 18 is keyed by means of a key 70 to shaft end 27. Theportion lying within the motor shaft '13 will be of such diameter (andif desired of a shape other than round) as to yield under the fulltorque of the motor while a pawl is in engagement with the ratchet,allowing the motor to make about a half turn before the ratchet ismoved.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention together with thedevice which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof,but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is onlyillustrative and that the invention can be carried out in other ways.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination in an engine starter, a ratchet for imparting motionto a moving part of the engine to be started, a rotary shaft carryingeccentrics, pawls actuated by said eccentrics for engaging said ratchetand imparting motion thereto, means for actuating said shaft and meansforv normally holding said pawls out of engagement with said ratchet.

2. In combination in an engine starter, a ratchet for imparting motionto a moving part of an engine to be started, a motor driven shaft, apawl for imparting motion to said ratchet and eccentrics for actuatingthe pawl and a yielding connection between said motor driven shaft andsaid eccentrics.

3. In combination in an engine starter, a ratchet for imparting motionto a movable part of the engine, a pawl for imparting motion to theratchet. a rotatable shaft for actuating said pawl, a motor having ahollow shaft into which said rotatable shaft extends and a yieldingconnection between said motor shaft and said rotatable shaft.

4. In an engine starter, a ratchet, a pawl for imparting motion to theratchet, an eccentric for actuating the pawl, a motor for driving theeccentric and-a shaft on which the eccentric is mounted and whichprojects into the hollow shaft of the motor to which it is connected.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 13th dayof December, 1912.

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE.

Witnesses:

C. W. MCGHEE, ANNA CLOHERTY.

